Shadow box for displaying stacked translucent sheet material



May 28, 1968 BRETZ 3,384,985

SHADOW BOX FOR DISPLAYING STACKED TRANSLUCENT SHEET MATERIAL Filed July6, 1965 ABC STORE N02 JACK R. BRETZ MICHAEL E. JENKINS INVENTORS AGENTUnited States Patent Oflice 3,384,985 Patented May 28, 1968 3,384,985SHADOW BOX FOR DISPLAYING STACKED TRANSLUCENT SHEET MATERIAL Jack R.Bretz and Michael E. Jenkins, both of 7322 SW. 13th Drive, Portland,Oreg. 97219 Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,565 4 Claims. (Cl.401tl6.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An illuminated display device upon which aplurality of superimposed, information bearing sheets of translucentpaper may be stacked for simultaneous display to a Viewer of thecumulative information. A translucent plate is yieldably mounted on thedevice to permit accommodation of various heights of stacks oftranslucent paper without disrupting the parallel relationship of thetranslucent plate to a transparent pressure plate. Accordingly, theuniform compaction of the translucent paper sheets permits lighttransmission therethrough for the display information borne on theseveral sheets. A magnetic latch biases the pressure plate downwardlyagainst the stacked sheet material.

This invention relates to inventory display devices and particularly toan illuminated device having the characteristics of a shadow box. Moreparticularly the invention comprehends utilization of such a device in achain of stores located in a trade area or territory for quickly,conveniently and accurately determining the inventory carried by all thestores. The at-a-glance inventory display provided enables the balancingof on hand items between the several stores since quantity and locationof a specific merchandised item are presented in one display. Also acomposite inventory is provided from which the re-ordering ofmerchandise can be scheduled. Further, the units are particularly usefulfor size balancing of store inventories in shoe stores but no limitationof use in this respect is meant to be implied.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a visual displaydevice of the character described which is compact and of simple design.The structure of the device and the transparent sheets used herewithprovide an economical unit for use by small or large chains of stores.Each store of a chain of stores maintains its own inventory sheets anddistributes a duplicate sheet for each merchandised item to a centralinventory station for the stores. 7

A further object is to provide such a device capable of presenting adisplay to the viewer, composed of a series of inventory sheetssuperimposed on one another with means for compacting the sheets toprovide a translucent, legible display of the indicia carried by eachsheet.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an illuminated inventory displaydevice made in accordance with our invention and with fragments brokenaway to reveal underlying parts.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a typical inventory sheet used inconjunction with the display device, and

FIGURE 4 is a composite view of fragments of identical inventory sheetsshowing various inventory indicia inscribed thereon in accordance withthat kept by different stores to which the sheets are assigned.

With continuing reference to the drawings wherein like referencecharacters designate like parts reference numeral 1 indicates generallya box-like structure having a bottom wall 2, rear wall 3, and side walls4 and 5 which are substantially triangular in elevation.

The walls define an opening 6 provided with a surrounding frame of foamrubber 7 of approximately one-eighth inch thickness. Provided within theopening is a light source in the form of a pair of fluorescent lightsone of which is indicated at 8 in electrical circuit through a switch(not shown) with a source of current.

A plate 9 of translucent Plexiglas provides a closure for the opening 6and is securely held against the foam rubber frame 7 by clips 10 securedto the structure by screws as at 11. A pair of projections 12 arecarried by the plate 9 and extend outwardly therefrom to provide sheetpositioning means.

A transparent pressure plate 13, preferably of Plexiglas, is hingedlyattached to the front wall of the structure by a pair of hinges 14 andis spaced outwardly therefrom along its top edge by spacer blocks orstrips 15. Adjacent the bottom edge of the pressure plate 13, a fingergrip 17 is provided for convenient raising and lowering of the pressureplate. The projections 12 provide placement guides for stacked inventoryforms or sheets indicated generally at 20 (FIGURE 4) which arestabilized when so positioned by means of corresponding apertures 21provided within each of the stacked sheets. Openings 23 in the pressureplate 13 receive the projections 12 when the plate is in surface contactwith the stack of inventory sheets 20.

It will be noted in FIGURE 2 that the finger grip 17 is secured to thepressure plate 13 by fiat head screws 17A which also secure a metalplate 173 to the underside of the pressure plate to provide an armaturenormally within the magnetic field of a pair of permanent magnetscarried by the box-like structure. The magnetic cores 22 of the latchesare capable of movement toward and away from the plate 17B by means of apin 24 slidable within a slot 25 in the wall of the magnet housing 26.The self adjustable feature of the latches permits various sized stacksof inventory sheets since regardless of the thickness of the stack thelatches will serve to hold the pressure plate 13 in surface bearingcontact thereagainst.

It will be understood that, necessary to the functioning of this device,is a means permitting a series of superimposed sheets to be uniformlycompacted to thereby provide a translucent assembly of sheets. Althoughnot shown, the hinges 14 could be of the floating type, adjustable tovarying stack thicknesses between the pressure plate 13 and the plate 9.In the form of the invention shown wherein the hinges 14 have fixedhinge pins, the resilient foam rubber 7 will compress unevenly tocompensate for either more or less than the optimum number of sheets.

A typical translucent inventory sheet is best illustrated in FIGURE 3and may be of onion skin, parchment or other translucent paper and forexample, divided into boxes reading from 1 through 14 horizontallyacross the top and bottom of the sheet and from 5A through C verticallydownward at spaced intervals lengthwise of the sheet. The horizontalnumerals refer to shoe sizes and the vertical numerals and lettersindicate shoe widths. Each sheet bears the quantity and sizes for onlyone style and color of shoe.

Within each block indicated at 30 is provided a single internal square31 within which a numeral is inscribed indicating inventory quantities.Inventory sheets of other stores of the chain are similar except thatthe internal square 31 is located differently within the block 30' fromthe square location shown in FIGURE 3. For example, and as illustratedin FIGURE 4, the squares 31 of each of the various stores are locateddilierently relative to the blocks 30. The square marked B representsstore 2, C store 3, D store 4, E store 5, and F store 6. In actual usethe viewer will become readily familiar with the relationship of thesquare and the store represented thereby.

The light transmitted through the stacked sheets will cause each of theinternal squares 31 on each sheet and the marking therein to be clearlydepicted. Thus, at-aglancc the inventory as well as the balance ordistribution thereof for a chain of stores may be determined.

V-Jhile we have shown particular forms of embodiment of our invention,we are aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggestthemselves to others skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described our invention,what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an illuminated display device of box-like construction havingilluminating means housed therein and an opening formed in one wallthereof, the improvement or a foam rubber member disposed upon one wallof the device adjacent the perimeter of the opening therein,

a translucent plate yieldably supported by said resilient member tooverlie said opening in spaced relationship from the wall of the device,

placement guides associated with the translucent plate for locating aplurality of superimposed indicia-bearing translucent sheeets,

a plurality of translucent sheets each sheet bearing information on anarea thereof different from another of said sheets,

a transparent pressure plate hingedly attached to said device andadapted to bear upon said translucent sheets and indirectly upon saidtranslucent plate supporting said sheets whereby the yieldably mountedtranslucent plate by reason of its being supported by said resilientmember along with the sheets carried thereby will yielclably move intoparallel relationship with the pressure plate to achieve uniform lighttransmission through said translucent sheets, this being accomplishedthroughout various stacked thicknesses of said translucent sheets.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein translucent plate carriessaid placement guides and said transparent pressure plate is relieved toclear said guides.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said one wall of thedisplay device is provided with a latch component for cooperation with asecond latch component carried by said transparent pressure plate.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 3 wherein said latch componentscomprise a magnetic latch having a movable magnetic core carried by saidone Wall of the device for cooperation with a metal plate carried bysaid transparent pressure plate whereby said movable core will becapable of exerting a biasing effect on said pressure plate while thelatter is at variously spaced distances from the said one wall of thedevice.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,478,564 12/1923 Adler 40-106.11,776,477 9/1930 OKeefe 40106.1 2,682,463 6/1954 Olsen 40-106.l X2,699,619 1/1955 Fink 40106.1 2,952,478 9/1960 Lortie 28229.2

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner.

